Desperate to resume operations, bars and restaurants pin hopes on government order in Kolkata – Times of India

KOLKATA: A few prominent restaurant chains in the city along with several neighbourhood food joints have resumed operations even before the state issued an order on relaxations in restrictions that were put in place last month to rein in Covid cases. The development, food and beverage industry experts said, is a pointer to the desperate situation the sector finds after being battered by conditions that the pandemic had thrust on it.
The Hotel & Restaurant Association of Eastern India (HRAEI), though, has advised its members to refrain from opening prematurely.

A biryani chain with a pan-Kolkata presence, a heritage coffee shop on College Street, another cafe and restaurant chain in New Town and a resto bar on Camac Street are among the well known restaurants and pubs that opened last week following CM Mamata Banerjee’s televised comments during a discussion with the industry 10 days ago in which she had indicated the government’s willingness to favourably consider reopening restaurants for limited hours with certain riders.
Three days later, some of these restaurants opened shop at 5pm. They are desperate, said sources. Many had even sent their service staff on leave without pay while others were paying a minimum wage to help them sustain through the difficult times. “We opened around four days ago and are operating at half the capacity between 5pm and 8pm as the CM had indicated. We are deploying those staff who have been vaccinated at least once,” an official of the biryani chain said.
The cafe-cum-restaurant chain in New Town, too, has been serving food at the outlets since last Monday. “After government allowed restaurants to open, we have been open everyday from 5pm to 8pm,” an executive said. Government officials clarified no such order had been issued.
A resto-bar on Camac Street had also opened shop believing the CM’s comments implied government nod. But Shakespeare Sarani PS stepped in and forced its closure.
On College Street, a heritage coffee shop was ‘allowed’ to serve its dedicated customers by Amherst Street PS on compassionate grounds since the cooperative that runs the operations is suffering badly. Officially, though, cops have asked the employees to encourage takeaways.
A prominent heritage restaurant on Park Street had also considered restarting operations but decided against it after fellow restaurants advised caution and Park Street police expressed objections in absence of a government notification.
Nitin Kothari, who runs popular restaurants Mocambo and Peter Cat on Park Street, said he had no plans to open till a formal order was issued. “I have vaccinated all the staff who are in Kolkata. But till the order is issued, I will only do takeaways and home delivery.”
“We also want restaurants, bars and nightclubs to reopen but with a proper government directive. As an association, we have categorically told owners not to do anything that goes against government directive. In the mean-time we will focus on vaccinating staff,” said HRAEI president Suresh Poddar.
With cases declining further, Poddar hopes when the notification is announced, possibly on Monday or Tuesday, more relaxations will be allowed.